


Avatar Niella Book Two: Firebending

by SeaSpectre160



Series: Avatar Niella [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Hostage Situations, New Avatar, Original Character Death(s), Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-01-16
Updated: 2009-02-13
Packaged: 2018-02-13 08:22:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2143749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeaSpectre160/pseuds/SeaSpectre160
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niella arrives on Kyoshi, but runs into a few political problems and Firebending, as another war may be on the horizon.</p><p>
  <img/>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Things Are Getting Serious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back, people! Here comes another tale of Avatar Niella, with a few more twists and turns and brand-new characters. 
> 
> Recap: Niella learned that she was the Avatar, and travelled to Ba Sing Se to learn earthbending from Toph. However, her training was cut short when she overheard a conspiracy plan to abduct the Earth King's daughter Tae Xing. The night of the kidnapping attempt, Niella and Tae Xing were escorted by Mai's brother Tom-Tom (remember the little baby in the episode 'Return to Omashu'? That's him!) to Sokka's ship. Hahn showed up and ordered Sokka to let him transfer the girls to Kyoshi Island instead. Sokka refuses, but Niella agrees, because she is still angry at him - and Katara, Suki, and Ty Lee - for not telling her she was the Avatar. 
> 
> I had a bit of a writer's block here and there, but Chapter 4 and the first bit of Chapter 5 just flowed, because I got this brilliant idea and everything just clicked. Until then, enjoy this almost-as-interesting chapter. 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Actually, I do own Avatar. Yeah, right! If I did, then you would have a Book 4!

Thunder boomed and harsh forked lightning flashed. Rain beat down on a small tent set up in the southeastern corner of the Fire Nation. Its two occupants, a man and a woman, were soaked to the bone, but they didn't care. They had much more important issues at hand. "Long Feng's plan has failed," the woman stated, "Failure cannot be tolerated." A crack of lightning revealed a malicious glint in her amber eyes.

"P-perhaps Long Feng should receive a s-second chance," her companion stuttered.

She whipped around to face him. "You would defend a failure? That makes you a traitor."

The man backed away, his face contorted in pure terror. "A t-traitor? N-no, please, mi-milady. Have m-mercy!" He bent down and knelt at her feet, begging for his life.

"Mercy…" A flicker of blue flame appeared between her fingers. "Mercy is for the _weak_!" From outside, anyone could hear the man's cry of agony, even over the tumult of the storm. The woman walked calmly out of the tent as it burst into flames, despite the heavy downpour. "Soon, I will have my revenge, and no one, not a traitor or this new Avatar, will be able to stop what is meant to be." She began cackling manically, as the lightning struck the tent behind her, fully ensuring that the man would not survive.

* * *

Elsewhere, the storm was also taking effect. A long wooden ship with deep blue sails was being tossed about by the waves like a toy. The Waterbenders on board were working tirelessly to keep the vessel above the surface. The only female in the group, a mere teenager, was the main reason for their continued survival. She never stopped moving, pushing away the biggest of the waves one after the other. Most of the men, when they had a spare second to think about it, were offended that a girl had outdone them, but then again, she _was_ the Avatar.

Niella felt a stabbing pain in her lungs each time she took a breath. But she couldn't stop. Everyone would be lost if she rested, even for a second.

"Land!" the Chief or the Northern Water Tribe, Hahn, shouted, pointing to a small island nearby, "Head for the land!"

Working in unison, Niella and the other Waterbenders summoned up their own wave, carrying the boat all the way to the wet, sandy beach. The ship was then immediately frozen in place. They were safe for now.

Niella dropped to her hands and knees, too tired to stay standing. Her heavy cloak, blue nightdress, and long black hair were plastered to her thin frame by the torrential downpour. Everyone was soaked.

"Everybody all right?" Captain Sangok called. Of course _he_ would be the one to ask. He was always putting the crew's safety before his own, while Hahn only cared about his reputation – dismal as it was. It was a wonder he'd ever been made chief of the Northern Water Tribe. Mumbles – all though they could not be heard at all – and nods came from the Waterbenders, who were slowly getting to their feet. Niella pulled her sopping wet hair out of her eyes, only to have it fall back a second later.

"Alright, everyone below deck!" Hahn ordered. Everybody stood up wearily and descended to their quarters. Niella flopped down on her hammock, still dripping wet. She didn't bother trying to sleep, exhausted as she was; it was no use with the pounding rain overhead. They were _way_ off course, and she knew it. Kyoshi Island was so far away, especially with Hahn in charge, but now they might _never_ get there, thanks to this storm.

Tae Xing lay silently in the hammock on the other side of the cabin. Her hair, long and black, just like Niella's, was still up in its ponytail. It hadn't been combed in a while; there were no servants on board for the task, and surprisingly, she hadn't ordered Niella or one of the men to do it. She shivered in her thin, olive green, silk nightdress, a fur-lined blanket wrapped around her body. Niella never cared much for her normally superior attitude, but now she pitied the princess. Tae Xing's personality seemed to have changed the night they'd left the Earth Kingdom. She barely ever complained, or fussed, or ordered people around, because she barely ever spoke at all. The only time she would ever say anything was whenever she needed to know something, and she would only ask either Niella or Sangok. Her drastic behavioural change, Niella assumed, was probably caused by shock. After all, she'd been evacuated from her home in the middle of the night, all because of some Black Phoenix Society that Niella barely knew about. No one had really told the young Avatar about these people; she'd only overheard an argument about them.

* * *

_You can't do this, Hahn!" Sokka argued, "The Black Phoenix Society is about to start a full-scale war, and at this point, the people of Kyoshi will not allow any ship but mine into their bay. You'll only make things worse!"_

_"They will let me in. I am also a chief of the Water Tribes. And besides, I don't see any problem with these Black Phoenix people, or whatever they're called. They've been quiet for the full fifteen years they've been together."_

_"Long Feng is one of them, you know that, and he's the one pulling the strings on this whole conspiracy!" Sokka sounded like he was getting dangerously close to losing his temper. "If that isn't a sign that they're on the move, then I don't know what is! You're putting the Earth Kingdom Princess and the Avatar in danger!"_

* * *

Niella had tried to ask Hahn about the Black Phoenix Society, but he'd frowned at her and told her to mind her own business. Now she knew why Sokka hated him so much. He talked down to his men, he treated her like a tagalong child, and only showed respect to Tae Xing because she was royalty.

Two weeks had passed since Tae Xing and Niella had switched from Sokka's ship to Hahn's. They'd had to travel through the Ba Sing Se Canal, across the bay, and around the Serpent's Pass. Hahn had almost gone right through Serpent's Pass, but Tae Xing, knowing even more stories about the monster than Niella, had persuaded him to take a detour. Then they'd hit the open ocean at the eastern tip of the Earth Kingdom, and began sailing north around the whole continent to Kyoshi Island. If Hahn hadn't been so stubborn, they would've headed southeast, around the southern tip of the Fire Nation. But to him, that would mean sailing off the edge of his seriously out-of-date map. So it really was no surprise that they hadn't arrived yet.

"Avatar Niella?" Tae Xing's voice startled the young Avatar out of her thoughts. "Are we _ever_ going to get there?"

Niella sat up and looked over. The princess was staring at the ceiling. "Of course," she replied, "It just might take a little longer than we thought."

"Chief Hahn really has no idea what he's doing, does he?"

"He _never_ knows what he's doing. He just _thinks_ he does."

"You seem to know him pretty well."

"Not that much, just enough to know that going with him wasn't my best idea ever."

"Then why did we do it?"

"I overheard Hahn mentioning that Sokka accidentally let Hahn's fiancée die during the war, or something. I didn’t get the full story. So I thought we'd be safer here. Something tells me I messed up there."

* * *

It was a week later when the shores of Kyoshi Island finally came into view. Tae Xing obviously liked the prospect of leaving the ship, but Niella felt torn. On the boat, she had to deal with Hahn, and on the island, Suki and Ty Lee were probably waiting. She was still angry with them for lying to her.

When they docked, they were met by an entire army of Kyoshi Warriors. Sure enough, Ty Lee was at the front, glaring at Hahn as he walked down the gangplank. "You're _so_ lucky we saw the Avatar on board," she warned him, "We would've sunk your ship right out from under you otherwise. _Sokka_ was supposed to bring the girls, not you. Dark times are coming, and showing up unannounced is a pretty foolish move, now. Even for you, Hahn. What were you thinking? Or were you even thinking at all?" Considering that Ty Lee was _never_ angry, it added more impact to her words.

Hahn returned her look. "You should hold your tongue when speaking to a Chief. Sokka could not be trusted with the job. I simply did what I could to prevent a disaster."

"How dare you?" Ty Lee bristled, "If you're suggesting that Sokka might betray us, then…"

"I never said that. Besides, who would he turn to? The Black Phoenix people everyone's so worked up about? They're _not a real threat_. They're nothing but a bunch of cowards who are just trying to scare people with empty threats. I'm surprised they're even brave enough to let the world know they exist."

"You're wrong. Their leader may be crazy, but she is _no coward_. She's in hiding to fool people like you! Don't forget, I knew her better than most people."

"Oh, that's right. You were one of her best friends. It's strange how much people seem to think you can be trusted." He took a threatening step forward, but Captain Sangok reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "Sir?" he asked, "Shouldn't we be escorting the Avatar and the princess to the village?" Hahn whipped around and glared at him, but nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Azula's back! And crazy as ever! Actually, she has regained SOME of her sanity, but she's still quite a bit off, and desires revenge. So we see now that Niella is clearly regretting her decision to go with Hahn, no duh. And we've seen a darker side to Ty Lee, but remember that she is unhappy, she's over 20 years older, and these are even more serious times. 
> 
> Now, the Black Phoenix Society is named in reference to the Phoenix King and the Order of the White Lotus, or the White Lotus Society (or is it a combo of both?). Of course, they would use black instead of white. It's a rebellion we now know was started by Azula. It consists of people from all 3 nations (since Aang is gone, the Air Nomads no longer exist). Most of Azula's followers are only working for her because she is using their loved ones as bartering chips. But there are a few like Long Feng, who is only working with her to achieve his own goals.


	2. Welcome to Kyoshi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recap: We saw the psycho leader of the Black Phoenix Society killing a follower who stood up for LongFeng when his plan from Part 1 failed. She created blue fire - don't tell me you don't know who she is! Niella, Hahn, Tae Xing, and Hahn's flagship captain Sangok (the nervous-looking waterbender Katara beat in a sparring match in the episode 'The Siege of the North part One'), along with the rest of Hahn's crew, arrived at Kyoshi Island, and met up with Ty Lee, who was uncharacteristically pissed at how Hahn had acted without permission or warning and took the girls instead of letting Sokka escort them. She and Hahn have a small argument, which quickly gets onto the topic of the Black Phoenix Society. Hahn insists that they aren't as dangerous as everyone thinks, given the fact that Azula's crazy (and, of course, he doesn't think much of anyone besides him, so he definitely hasn't lost that arrogant attitude had has as a teenager). Of course, an insane leader makes the rebellion more dangerous. But that's Hahn for you. 
> 
> So yes, another war will be starting very soon, and that means we have another young Avatar who's got to master all four elements in a very short amount of time. Of course, you may be wondering, with Aang gone, how is she going to learn Airbending? Well, you'll have to wait for the third part of this series. Oh, crap. I just remembered, I've barely gotten past the first page! That's really all that's been written so far! ! 
> 
> Well, now that I have that out of my system, on with the story! 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar. I do own Niella and Tae Xing, as well as the Lu Ten and Ta Min OF THIS STORY. The actual characters from the series with those names are people they were named after. (Their dad's cousin and their great-great-grandmother)

The village of Kyoshi was pretty nice, Niella had to admit. The wooden houses were all well-kept and lined up perfectly. Several people were out in the streets. While elderly citizens chatted in small groups, mothers did their best to get their shopping done while trying to keep an eye on their children. It all reminded her of home so much. Except there was no snow.

Hahn, apparently, did not share her opinion. "Rather plain, isn't it?" he asked to no one in particular, "I'd think a great Earth Kingdom city would be a bit more … impressive."

Ty Lee frowned. "Kyoshi is _not_ a city. We take pride in the _people_ here, not material wealth or anything like that." Many of the villagers by then had stopped to stare at the group. Of course, Niella couldn't blame them. Hahn had decided to dress in full regalia, as if he wanted the people of Kyoshi to worship him or something. And despite the summery weather, both Niella and Tae Xing still wore heavy cloaks over their nightdresses, mostly because they had nothing else. Eventually people started muttering amongst themselves, about the mysterious newcomers, no doubt. They made their way to a larger hut near the forest edge. "This was our old training dojo," Ty Lee explained, "We built a new one a few years back, but this one is still used as a guest house. You girls will be staying here."

As they entered the guest house, Niella was surprised to see that Suki was waiting inside, in full uniform. She stood up and gave Niella a hug, something the young Avatar wasn't in the mood for – not from her – but frowned when she saw Hahn, obviously expecting her husband. "What are _you_ doing here?" she asked threateningly, giving Ty Lee a side glance.

"The mighty Chief of the North decided he'd bring Niella and Tae Xing himself," Ty Lee explained bitterly, "A week behind schedule, I might add."

"Hahn? A word, _now_." Suki stalked out, motioning for the chief to follow her. Hahn grudgingly did so.

Ty Lee showed Niella and Tae Xing to their separate rooms, where a set of clean clothes awaited them, along with a hot bath. Niella realised that the new garments were actually a set of her own from home. Ty Lee explained that Suki had brought them over.

As Niella undressed for her bath, she heard faint shouting from outside. Pressing her ear to the wall, she was able to recognise the voices. It was Suki and Hahn. Both sounded _really_ agitated. "Do you have _any_ idea what could've happened?" Suki raged, "Or did you not even _care_ about those girls at all? I can't believe you! You put Niella in danger! If _anything_ had happened to her, I swear I would – I would – well, I don't know exactly what I would do, but I can guarantee you it would hurt!" Niella was surprised at how Suki was defending her, just like the way she defended the twins.

"Oh really, you people aren't seriously afraid there's actually a threat, are you?" Hahn retorted, "For the last time, the Black Phoenix Society is not a danger! Their leader is a deranged ex-princess! That is if she's still alive!"

"A deranged ex-princess with several powerful allies, all of whom want to see the world at war again! They've already made an attempt on the Earth Kingdom Royal Family, what if they go after the Water Tribes next? Or the Fire Nation? The world isn't a safe place anymore, and if they'd chosen to attack your ship, I seriously doubt you would've survived, any of you! You could've been playing right into their hands!" Her volume level lowered considerably, and Niella had to strain her ears to catch her words. "If you _ever_ try something like that again, we'll let the North deal with the enemy _on your own_ when the war comes. We won't help you." Silence. It seemed like the conversation was over.

* * *

After she'd bathed and changed, Niella went looking for Suki. She needed to talk. Surprisingly, a familiar guest was waiting for her outside. The Fire Lord himself, dressed more casually than the other time she’d seen him, sat out front with Ty Lee and another woman around the same age. Two young children, a boy and girl, raced around, laughing and occasionally shooting small bursts of flame at each other. Every time they did this, though, the woman, presumably their mother, would reprimand them. Fire Lord Zuko stood up as Niella came out. "Niella," he greeted her, "It's time for you to start you Firebending training."

Niella wasn't sure what to make of this. "B-but I'm not even finished with Earthbending," she said, "Don't you think it's a little too early for me to be learning how to bend fire?"

"I know this is rushed, but another war may be coming soon, and you have to be ready."

"By 'another war', you wouldn't happen to be talking about the Black Phoenix Society, would you?"

"Of course. You _have_ been told of them, right?"

Niella frowned. "Only what I've overheard in other people's conversations – two of which I actually wasn't supposed to hear, but that's beside the point. Nobody's ever bothered to actually _tell_ me anything. I mean, shouldn't I know about this sort of stuff? I'm the Avatar!"

"Sokka was supposed to tell you about it, but he didn't really get the chance, especially after you were transferred to Hahn's ship. I suppose Hahn _should_ have told you, but he obviously doesn't think you need to know."

"Well, that _definitely_ makes sense. So _who_ are these people?"

Zuko, Ty Lee, and the other woman exchanged glances. Both women gave him a look that plainly said: 'You explain it'. Zuko took a deep breath before beginning. "The Black Phoenix Society is a group of people who came together as a rebellion about fifteen years ago, after Aang died. Their leader is the former crown princess of the Fire Nation – my younger sister Azula. They plan on retaking the Fire Lord's Throne and pretty much conquering the entire world. That was Azula and my father's goal during the war. Ever since she escaped from prison, the world has become a more dangerous place." He looked Niella in the eye. "You will have to face her eventually, so be warned: ever since Mai and Ty Lee here betrayed her to assist in a prison breakout, she has become mentally unstable – if not completely insane. She's even more dangerous now than she was before."

Niella gulped. She really didn't like the idea of doing battle with a vengeful psycho, even with all four elements on her side. This was why she didn't want to be the Avatar at first. There was _way_ too much danger involved, not to mention pressure. "Well, that's… good to know… I guess. So, uh, when do we start? You know, the Firebending?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now there's something interesting! We'll have to wait for Part 4 for it to be a real page-turner (print this out, and then you can say I meant that literally). And it looks like Suki has just given Niella a reason NOT to hate her. That's good. 
> 
> See you next week!


	3. Attack!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late. 
> 
> Recap of Chapter 2: Niella was reunited with Suki, although she was somewhat confused over whether she still hated her. She overheard an argument between Suki and Hahn. Like Ty Lee, Suki told Hahn he'd made a stupid, pigheaded decision, and she also mentions how much danger she put Niella in. Niella is even more confused by the way Suki says how much she cares about her. Now what's confusing Niella so much is that she thought that Sokka, Katara, Suki, and Ty Lee didn't care about her because they waited sixteen years to tell her she was the Avatar. But now that she has evidence to the contrary, she's rethinking her decision to forever hate them. 
> 
> Well, I just finished high school exams Wednesday, and now I'm FREE! There were supposed to be conflict exams Thursday but I don't have to take those, but then there was a storm Wednesday night, so the conflicts were bumped to Friday and the day off was bumped to Monday. That means I'm on a five-day weekend! 
> 
> So this is clearly a big relief, and now I have much more free time to write my stories and read Twilight - I only just started a couple days ago, even though I first heard of it last summer - there was a girl at a drama camp I went to who lives, sleeps, and breathes Twilight. She couldn't believe I had no idea what she was talking about. 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar. I do own Niella, Tae Xing, Bo Don, Jang Tsu, Quin, the Ta Min and Lu Ten mentioned in this chapter, and I think that's it.

The coastline of Kyoshi Island was coming into view. The _Ozai_ would be landing within the hour, and then the new plan would be put to work. Several crewmen were scurrying around on the deck, making sure their leader, the all-powerful Azula, was satisfied. Should one of them ‘fail’, they were clearly a traitor, sabotaging her glorious plans. Their burnt corpse would be tossed into the depths where it belonged. Azula had no patience for traitors. They all claimed to be loyal to her, or whomever they loved that she held for ransom, but she _knew_ they were all plotting against her. Especially those two brothers, Jang Tsu and Quin. The daughter of the elder one – she never bothered to find out which one was which – was at Azula's mercy, and they insisted that they would do anything to keep her safe. But Azula had seen the child enough to know that she was nothing special; she cried a lot, she had no special talents, and she wasn't even a Firebender. Why would they bother to care about her? Azula knew that in order to deserve anyone's loyalty, one must have talent, brains, and, of course, beauty. And the little brat had nothing. Her father and uncle were only using her as an excuse to remain in her army, as Azula herself had used so many other people to achieve her goals. She pretended to believe and trust them, only because they were somewhat necessary in achieving her goal. Once she was crowned Phoenix _Queen_ , they would be sent to the dungeons, every last one of them, where they belonged. All but one.

Bo Don was her _only_ trusted officer. His part in Long Feng's plan had gone well enough. While normally she would've punished the fool who'd allowed the vital information to leak to the Earth King, he was different. True, Bo Don should have stopped the Earthbending master and the Avatar from getting to the King, but it was the carelessness of Long Feng that had led to the plan's ruin. He should've known better than to make the deal with Xin Fu right outside the very Earthbending school where the Avatar trained. Besides, it wouldn't have been wise to engage them in battle right outside the palace. Bo Don did what he had to do in order to keep his cover, and, more importantly, he was loyal to her. Azula liked that just fine.

After all, a Phoenix Queen required a new Phoenix _King_.

-

"One thing you have to understand about fire is that it's not just destruction like everyone says." Niella and Zuko stood in the middle of a large clearing a safe distance away from the village. Tae Xing, Hahn, Ty Lee, Suki, Mai, and Zuko and Mai's children Lu Ten and Ta Min watched from afar – _very_ afar. "Fire is like the sun. It is life."

Niella was busy concentrating on the fire in her hand. It _did_ feel alive, but it felt as if it wanted to leap up and burn her. Firebending was harder than she'd thought at first. It didn't feel like water at all. No, it would hurt her and others if she let it get out of control, so she focused, forcing the flame into a tiny spark.

"Don't be so timid," Zuko instructed her, "If you suppress the fire, it'll either go out or blow up in your face. Let it burn, but maintain control." Niella let the flame grow a little bigger until it was the size of her fist. Nothing happened. It didn't explode or rage out of control or anything. It simply pulsated above her palm. The steady rhythm was almost soothing, like a little heartbeat. "Good. Now put it out, and we'll try something else." Niella reluctantly dispersed the fire and looked up at her teacher. "Now, I want you to punch out some fire, then draw it back in to you. Like this." Zuko punched the air with his right fist. A burst of flame shot towards the trees, but the master Firebender pulled his arm back, and the fire followed the motion and returned to him.

Niella took a deep breath and did the same, but when she tried to pull it back, the flames broke out of control and the trees were ignited. "Uh-oh!" she gasped. Zuko waved his hand, and the fire on the branches died out. "I'm _so_ sorry!"

"It's okay," Suki assured her, "Sokka told me that when Aang first started, he accidentally burned Katara, so your first try is actually an improvement!" Niella gave her a small smile. How could she have been mad at Suki? Or Sokka and Katara? No, not Katara. Mom. After all, it was probably a good thing they held the secret from her. Uncle Sokka did always say she overreacted.

A bell started tolling loudly in the village.

"The alarm!" Suki shouted, "Someone's entered the bay!" They all ran towards the waterfront, the Firebending lesson quickly forgotten.

-

"Oyaji!" The elderly mayor of Kyoshi Village turned at the familiar voice. Suki and Ty Lee, his best warriors, were coming from the woods. Several other people followed them. Oyaji recognised the Northern Water Tribe Chief Hahn, most of the Fire Nation royal family, and the Earth Kingdom Princess Tae Xing. They were accompanied by a girl in Water Tribe clothes. She had to be Niella, the new Avatar. "What's going on?" Suki asked.

Oyaji pointed towards the mouth of the bay. "An unknown ship is trying to get in," he reported.

Fire Lord Zuko took a telescope from a nearby Kyoshi Warrior and peered out at the mysterious vessel. "Oh, no," he mumbled, "That woman at the bow; I'd recognise her face anywhere. It's Azula."

"Awaken the Unagi!" Suki commanded, "We can't let that ship reach our shores!" A pair of warriors ran over to the large gong half-submerged in the harbour. Lifting a heavy battering ram, they rang it. The loud vibrations, even louder underwater, stirred a creature that _had_ been sleeping. Enraged, Unagi broke through the surface, shrieking. Her beady blue eyes found Azula's ship, and she immediately began swimming for it.

"I have a feeling she's not going to try and help them," Niella stated. Oyaji felt a grim satisfaction in the young Avatar's words as Unagi appeared right next to the enemy ship. Within a minute, this wild beast would stop a war looming on the horizon, even though she wouldn't care all that much.

Suddenly, something blue shot out from the bow and hit Unagi in the eye. The giant eel shrieked again, this time in pain, and dove back beneath the surface. Everyone on the shore gasped. The ship continued towards land, gaining speed every second. "Niella!" Suki shouted, "Think you can freeze them in place?" The Avatar nodded and jumped off the wharf, Waterbending an ice platform beneath her feet and zooming off. Oyaji was surprised at the girl's mastery over her element. He hadn't seen that much Waterbending talent since Katara's last visit.

Niella rode towards the ship, getting as close as possible while still out of range of the Firebenders hurling flames at her, then cut in front of it. As she went, a solid barrier of ice rose up from the water, effectively barring Azula's path. She surfed back to shore, grinning. "That should do it," she announced, "Only a _really_ good Waterbender could get through _that_."

A sudden loud cracking and splashing noise, and Niella's wall came crashing down. "Too bad Azula has some of those on board," the Fire Lord commented darkly.

"It looks like we'll have to try our luck at a land defence," Suki added, "Warriors! Prepare for battle!" She turned to face the Fire Lord and Lady and Niella. "The best idea would be to get Tae Xing away from the island and to someplace safer. I'm thinking… the South Pole." Niella's eyes brightened. It took Oyaji a second to remember that that was her home.

"But wouldn't the _North_ Pole be even better?" Chief Hahn interrupted, ignoring Fire Lady Mai's ‘shut up’ glare, "Our Waterbenders are far more skilled, and our capital is much more easily defensible."

"But the South Pole is closer," Suki reminded him, "and just as strong. Times have changed, Hahn, and seems you're the only one who hasn't caught on to that."

"So, the South it is," Fire Lord Zuko declared, "Mai and I can have Niella and Tae Xing there within a week."

"If Azula doesn't wreck your ship first!" Niella cried, pointing out at the bay. Several longboats had been lowered from Azula's vessel, and were in the process of taking out every boat on the coastline.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, now Azula's back in the picture, and I hope the look inside her head was realistic enough. It seems rather clear that she's in love with Bo Don (sorry, I couldn't help myself; even the psychologically warped need a little love). At least now we have a little action going on, although I can't say the same on the subject of reviews. What, does no one like me anymore? 
> 
> PS: did you know that 'Oyaji' is actually Japanese for 'father'?


	4. How Azula Got Her Soldiers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recap of Chapter 3: Azula makes her way to Kyoshi Island, reflecting on how she does not trust her soldiers, especially Jang Tsu and Quin. The only one she trusts is the one she is subconciously in love with - Bo Don, the Earth Kingdom guard who delayed Toph and Niella when they went to see the king. Zuko begins instructing Niella in Firebending, and aside from accidentally setting a tree on fire, she does pretty well for a first-timer. The lesson is interrupted when Azula and her ship - the Ozai - arrive in the bay. Suki, Ty Lee, and the other Kyoshi Warriors try to repel her by setting the Unagi on her (they have put a huge half-submerged gong in the water so when they ring it, they disturb the Unagi, and she attacks any ship that moves) and when that doesn't work, Niella tries making an ice barrier, but Azula's Waterbenders just knock it down. The heroes arrange for Niella and Tae Xing - as they assume Azula is after Tae Xing - to go to the South Pole with Mai and Zuko. But it might not work as Azula's men have begun destroying all the boats in the harbour. 
> 
> Well, here's my fave chapter! I loved writing this, and I hope you love reading it. 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar. I do own Niella, Tae Xing, Quin, Jang Tsu, Liya, and Kichona.

Niella could barely breathe through the thick smoke. What a brilliant idea she'd come up with this time. Run into a burning house just to snatch a couple of cloaks. Azula and her followers had landed on the beach, and now the entirety of the village was a war zone. Enemy benders fought against the Kyoshi Warriors and Zuko and Hahn's personal forces. Niella's plan was to get two decoys – one for herself and one for Tae Xing – to distract the Black Phoenix fighters long enough for the real girls to get away. So far, part one – getting their cloaks to complete the disguise – wasn't going all that well. The guest house had caught fire, and now she had to battle her way through the flames and the smoke. Her own was already draped over her arm, but she still had to get Tae Xing's.

Finally, she found the princess's room and snatched her cloak up from the floor, beating out a small ember on the hem. At least she now had both. The heat was nearly unbearable. She still had to find the door amongst all this mess. Coughing, Niella did her best to keep the flames at bay. Where was that door? She had to get out. Stumbling, Niella reached out and grabbed something solid to break her fall. It felt metallic, and was very hot. She looked up, and found herself staring into a white, skull-like face. As she backed away in shock, Niella realised it was the faceplate of a red helmet.

Two men stood before her, both wearing the intimidating burgundy armour. They were poised in Firebending stances, ready to strike. Niella gasped, accidentally inhaling a lungful of smoke and coughing. The Firebenders, however, made no threatening moves; in fact, they seemed more afraid of her than she was of them. Still, they were Azula's men; she couldn't take any chances. She pulled out all the contents of the waterskin hanging off her belt, intending to strike, but a loud creaking noise stopped her. Looking up, she saw the wooden support beams above them about to give in. She jumped away, but the Firebenders did not realise the danger until it was too late. One of them pushed his friend out of the way before the burning wood crashed down on top of him.

Niella stared in shock as the second Firebender pulled off his helmet and ran over. "No!" he shouted, "Jang Tsu!" He tried to lift the heavy beam off him, with no success, and then eventually fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. He was so young; he couldn't have been older than Tae Xing, at the most. Something in the back of Niella's mind told her to run, but she ignored it. She couldn't just leave them like this, no matter who they were. Instead, she stepped forward and raised her water over the beam. She cut the thick wood in two strong strokes and pushed it off the soldier. Then she took one of his arms and threw it over her shoulder.

"Come on!" she shouted to the other one, "We have to get him out of here!" The boy stared at her in surprise, sadness, and confusion, then supported his friend's other side. The three of them made it out of the house and into a sheltered bit of forest behind it, away from all the fighting in the streets. There they lay Jang Tsu down on a large patch of soft moss. His friend gently pulled off the helmet, discarding it over his shoulder like a piece of trash. The two of them looked so much alike. The same eyes, face, and hair colour. They were definitely brothers, about ten years’ difference in age.

"Quin…" Jang Tsu whispered, clearly in extreme pain, "I'm sorry… about… home… It was my fault."

"No," Quin choked. Niella felt helpless as she just stood there watching the two brothers spending their last moments together. "No, don't say that. The raid wasn't your fault. Mom and Dad wouldn't blame you, and neither do I. It was Azula." Niella's interest piqued as the evil woman's name was mentioned. "I'll make her pay for what she did to our family, and I'll find Kichona. I promise." The brothers grasped hands, eyes overflowing with tears. Niella was on the verge of crying, too. Then Jang Tsu closed his eyes and took a shuddering breath. His hand fell limply onto his chest. He was gone.

* * *

_Quin, run!" His brother's voice filled Quin with terror. The fire was spreading all over his childhood home. He couldn't run; he had to save it. It was so disturbingly quiet, save the crackling of the flames. What had happened to all the screaming?_

_"Mommy!" Liya was lying face down on the ground, the back of her beautiful scarlet and burgundy dress burned. Her husband ran over and lifted her up. It was too late. She slumped lifelessly in Jang Tsu's arms. Quin rushed over to his niece and scooped her up, then carried her over to her parents. The dust on Kichona’s face was streaked with tears. "Mommy?" she whimpered, patting Liya's face, as if trying to wake her._

_"Your dear mother is gone." The cold, hard voice came from behind them. Quin turned to see a woman dressed in rags, with long, hopelessly tangled dark brown hair, standing there, a cruel smile playing on her lips. Her hair hung over her face, hiding her eyes. "And so is the rest of the village." Quin's heart nearly stopped. Mom and Dad. Those rebels had killed his family!_

_He set Kichona down and stood, his blood boiling. "Murderer!" he shouted, throwing as much fire as he could muster in her direction. The witch of a woman deflected it in an instant, cackling madly. She aimed a small, deadly jet of flame towards what was left of his family, but Jang Tsu blocked it. Quin was now frozen in place as more rebels surrounded them. The colour of her fire, it was… blue. Blue fire. The only person ever to produce that, the most dangerous rebel in the entire world, Azula, was the one standing before him. She lifted her head, and for once, Quin saw her eyes. Hazel, somewhere between brown and gold. And disturbing. The look in her eyes was hollow, demented, broken, and evil._

_The other rebels were about to fire, but then Azula held up her hand, and they froze. The looks on their faces, unemotional when they'd attacked, now showed intense fear and regret. "Actually," Azula commanded, her voice disturbingly light-hearted, as if she wasn't really paying attention to the slaughter and destruction she'd just caused, "how would you two like to join us?"_

* * *

_"Daddy! Daddy! Daddyyyyyyyy!" The high pitched wails trailed off as the masked and armoured man carried Kichona away._

_"KICHONA!" Jang Tsu was practically throwing himself against the four rebels holding_ _him back. Quin stayed in his position kneeling on the floor, eyes screwed shut. He just wished he could shut his ears to all the screaming and misery. His entire body was shaking, so much that his awful blood-red armour rattled. He hated wearing it; it was a symbol that he belonged to the people who'd destroyed almost everything he held dear._

_"Oh, don't worry," Azula stated from her place on the rickety throne, still disgustingly cheerful, "Your little sweetie will be just fine. There are lots of other little kiddies she can play with, and as long as you stay with us, they'll all keep having their fun while we crush my brother." The twig she'd randomly picked up on the way back and started playing with suddenly snapped in two or ‘crush’._

_How could she talk about hurting her own family like that? Quin had grown up hearing all the horror stories about the war and how the royal family done so much wrong, except for Ursa, Iroh, and Zuko. Sozin killing the Air Nomads, Azulon ordering Ozai to kill Zuko, Ursa arranging Azulon's death, and of course Zuko's_ _decision to turn against the rest of his family - aside from Iroh – to join the Avatar, and leading the Fire Nation to peace. Quin knew it all. His own family had been loyal to the idea of peace since the war had begun, giving shelter to the desperate Earth Kingdom refugees who wandered through. The only thing he had left from his father was his favourite Pai Sho tile, the White Lotus. He'd never figured out why Father kept it; he didn't even play the game. But he would treasure it forever._

_And here was this demented, insane, wicked monster plotting the demise of her own brother. So she **was** as evil and unstable as the stories said._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that was interesting. The little bit at the end with the twig came from when we first see Azula interacting with Zuko and Iroh. Remember? She picks up a shell and squeezes it so hard it shatters? I thought I might add something similar to add a little more detail. Now I think we've figured out that the Firebender uniforms we see without the masks are the ones the soldiers wear now, while the creepy ones with skull faces were sort of discontinued, but Azula decided to use them. So even the waterbenders and earthbenders she's recruited wear them. Most of her soldiers are people captured from villages she's attacked. Pretty much all of them are in the same type of situation as Quin and Jang Tsu.


	5. Escape from Kyoshi Island

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, this is the final chapter of Niella's story - for now! It won't be for a while until Book 3 goes up, April, actually. 
> 
> Recap: Niella went into the burning guest house to grab some cloaks in order for her plan to work. Don't do that at home, people, or anyplace else that's on fire. Two enemy Firebenders followed her in, and one got stuck under a collapsed beam. Niella decided to help get him outside, and we learn that the two soldiers were brothers Jang Tsu and Quin, who were only working for Azula because Jang Tsu's daughter Kichona was her prisoner. Jang Tsu died from internal injuries only a few minutes later after getting hit by the beam. 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar. I do own Niella, Tae Xing, Jang Tsu, Quin, and Kichona.

Mai tossed her last dart, pinning a traitor Waterbender to a house. Where was Niella? It shouldn't take her that long to fetch a couple cloaks. They had to go!

The streets of Kyoshi Village had become a gruesome battlefield. Buildings were burning from the flaming torches the enemies had carried when they landed on the beaches. Even Hahn's Waterbenders couldn't keep the longboats from reaching the shore. Chaos was everywhere. The fighters only had a split second to recognise each other as friend or foe. Some accidentally attacked their own allies. Rumbles, explosions, and the sound of rushing water surrounded her, along with the cries of wounded and dying soldiers.

Suddenly she spotted a small flare coming from the forest. Niella's signal! "Zuko!" she called. Her husband, having just finished with no less than three enemy Firebenders, all wearing the old skull-faced uniforms, turned to face her. "Let's go!" Zuko nodded, and they ran through the battle-filled streets towards the woods.

They soon found Niella, cloaks in hand. Nearby were two Black Phoenix soldiers. One was on the ground, the other still standing. "Niella!" Zuko shouted, hands already full of flame. Niella turned at the sound of his voice, but instead of running over, she stood in front of the enemies, as she were protecting them. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Just listen!" Niella begged them, "This guy's not our enemy!" Zuko and Mai paused, then nodded. The young Firebender slowly faced them, then dropped to his knees in a low bow. "Azula forced him and his brother to fight in her army. It wasn't their choice. Quin is on our side!"

"And what about his brother?" Niella sadly looked to the other firebender lying motionlessly on the ground. Mai quickly understood.

"Please," Quin choked, "Wherever you're headed, let me come with you. I can't fight alongside those murderers anymore." Zuko and Mai exchanged glances. Was it a good idea? For all they knew, he could be a spy. But the emotion on his face was too real. He genuinely hated Azula. They nodded. Niella helped him to his feet and started to lead him away, but he tugged at her arm. "Wait." He stared at her with pleading eyes. "You're the Avatar, aren't you?" Niella slowly nodded. "So, you can Earthbend?" Another nod. "Jang Tsu always wanted to visit this place, believe it or not, so… I think it's only right that he stays here, but I don't want anyone to find him. Do you think you could..?" He gestured at his brother’s body.

Carefully, Niella Earthbended a grave beneath him, and closed it up. Mai felt a few tears threatening to fall, and she leaned against Zuko. She hadn't witnessed a scene like that since Hakoda's funeral. Niella put a hand on Quin's shoulder. Slowly, they walked away from the makeshift burial site, Mai and Zuko not far behind.

* * *

Suki was growing impatient. She, Ty Lee, Tae Xing, and Hahn were waiting in the forest for Zuko, Mai, and Niella. They couldn't execute the plan without them. Suki and Ty Lee were to disguise themselves as Niella and Tae Xing and flee to Ba Sing Se on Hahn's ship, drawing all the attention away from the _real_ Niella and Tae Xing, who would then head to the South Pole with Mai and Zuko. But in order to complete their disguises, they needed those cloaks Niella had volunteered to go get. What was taking her so long? Suki hoped her niece hadn't run into trouble.

Katara had made them all swear to protect Niella the second the little girl had been revealed to be Aang's reincarnation. Everyone who'd been close with Aang had immediately taken up the challenge, ready to protect the new Avatar with their lives. Included in that select group were five members of the White Lotus Society: Iroh, Bumi, Jeong Jeong, Pakku, and Piandao. Of those five, however, only Iroh and Piandao were still alive; the others had passed on peacefully.

"There they are!" Ty Lee exclaimed.

Suki turned to see Niella, Mai, and Zuko walking towards them. She hurried over with a smile. "Oh, thank goodness!" But her smile quickly faded. She could tell something was wrong. They were moving very slowly, as if in mourning. Even more out of place was their companion. A young man in dark red armour – the uniform of the enemies – walked beside Niella, her hand on his shoulder. "Who's he?"

Niella looked over at him sadly before answering. "This is Quin. He's a friend." Quin met her eyes, seemingly surprised at being called her friend. Niella gave him a small smile before turning back to Suki. "Where are the decoys?" she asked.

"Right here," Ty Lee replied, pointing at herself and Suki. Niella's eyes widened.

"But... I thought you would've had someone else do that."

"Why would you think that? What led you to believe that we'd ever trust anyone else with your lives?"

"Well, I figured since you kept the biggest secret in the world from me, that…" A few tears leaked out of her eyes. "Oh, I don't know what I was thinking!"

"It's okay," Suki murmured, drawing Niella in for a hug. The girl sobbed and squeezed her hand. "You know, you're a lot more like Katara than you think." Niella looked up at her, confused.

"Really?"

"Yeah. She's my best friend, and even though you guys aren't _technically_ related, you _are_ her daughter in many other ways." Niella smiled, then pulled away.

"Thanks. You guys should get going." She handed Suki and Ty Lee a cloak each. "Sorry if they're a little charred. The guest house was kind of on fire when I went in." Suki chose not to comment on that. Instead, she pulled on the cloak, throwing the hood over her head. It was a good thing Niella and Tae Xing were tall for their ages. They were just the right height. Niella, Suki, and Ty Lee hugged one more time. "Good luck. And please, be careful."

* * *

Niella gripped the side of the ship's rail. The Fire Nation vessel moved surprisingly fast. TaeXing was at her right, silent as she'd ever been lately, and Quin was on Niella's other side. He'd eagerly shed the armour, dumping it into the sea, and now wore a set of spare Fire Nation clothes he'd gotten from a crew member. He too, didn't speak a word.

Niella heard a noise behind her, and turned to see Zuko standing there. "Quin?" he asked, "There are some things we need to discuss before I can fully trust you." Quin nodded, his face growing serious. "First, how did you meet Azula?"

Silence. At first, it didn't seem like Quin was going to answer. "She and her followers came to my village," he mumbled, "They burned it all down and killed nearly everyone. There were only three survivors: me, my brother, and his daughter Kichona. Azula found out that Jang Tsu and I were Firebenders, so she took Kichona prisoner and forced us to join her army. It was the only way to keep her safe. You have no idea how many people in her forces are in the same situation. She must have over a hundred innocent people being held hostage so that their loved ones have to go around and kill people." He clenched his fists. "The next time I see that witch, I'll kill her. Just like she killed my family."

 

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, intense. So much hatred, and he's only 17! Of course, when you take a look at Katara's case, she was younger than him and seriously wanted vengeance too.
> 
> So here's a preview of Book 3: 
> 
> Quin wondered how his family would react if they saw where he was right now. Dad would go on and on about how he'd never left the village his entire life, then clap him on the back for fighting alongside the Avatar. Mom would shiver at the thought of him being so far away from home, but remark that she was proud of him. Jang Tsu would smirk and say something like: "Bring me back some of that blubbered seal-jerky, would ya?" Liya would tell him to put on a coat or something before a froze to death, and Kichona would give him one of her trademark toothy grins, before saying that she wanted to go, too. Little Kichona, always speaking ehr mind, no matter what her opinion was. 
> 
> An now she was the last one left. Quin wondered where she was now. Were they feeding her? Was she alone? Did she know her father was dead? Was she even alive? What if Azula and her followers had already killed her? What if they'd already done the deed before Quin and Jang Tsu had even left the base?


End file.
